Last week I implored you to schedule your PTO because 43% of you won’t use it all. And that absolutely still stands.
But with 35% of you telling us you work from home or remotely and a whopping 60% working hybrid, you may be thinking you can get away and still work. And you can.
According to that same survey from Go City I mentioned last week, 29% of remote workers say they plan to work while on vacation in 2023 and 1 in 4 will extend a vacation this year by working remotely.
That, my friends, is a workcation and it can be a wonderful thing! BUT KEEP READING…
Workcations vs Vacations
THEY ARE NOT THE SAME!
Repeat after me: Workcations DO NOT replace vacations.
On a vacation, you use your PTO and completely unplug from work. You need these even if you take workcations. You don’t necessarily have to travel anywhere, but you do need time away from your work duties to recharge. Go back to last week’s post for more on why you need a true vacation.
On a workcation, you DO NOT use your PTO as you are still, in fact, working. You are just doing it in a different location than normal. You can work similar hours, answer emails, attend Zoom meetings, etc and then explore a new place or spend time with friends and family later in the day.
According to The Atlantic article ‘Workcations’ Aren’t an Escape. They’re Practice:
Studies show that new experiences boost creativity, motivation, and learning.
Experts agreed brief, regular recoveries are more important for burnout prevention than longer, sporadic breaks. Research shows that the well-being effects of a vacation fade soon after you return to work, so we need recurring ways to top up our depleting energy reserves. And in our always-on work culture, taking a prolonged vacation can be a source of anxiety in itself.
Again, this doesn’t mean you don’t need to take a full vacation from work, but sprinkling in workcations throughout the year can be beneficial to your productivity and mental well-being.
10 Tips for Having a Great Workcation
- Check with your organization about workcation policies (if they have any).
- Tell your boss what you are planning. This post has a great script you can use if you think they might balk at the idea.
- Schedule anything with deadlines before you leave and don’t take a trip during the middle of a big project.
- Research your accommodations. Make sure the wifi/internet is acceptable and there is a suitable place to work.
- Have a backup plan if the internet isn’t as good as you thought it would be.
- Research your destination and make plans for your downtime/adventures.
- Remember time zone differences.
- Set working times and play times and let your travel party and work colleagues know what they are.
- Make sure your travel partners have reasonable expectations about you working on the trip.
- Keep track of the work you are doing to document your results in case anyone questions you.
Do you take workcations? Let us know what your favorite workcations spots are!
